The Region

The Los Angeles Police Commission postponed for one month a decision on restricting film companies from hiring off-duty and retired police officers to direct traffic and control crowds around movie and television film sets. The commission had been scheduled to act on Police Chief Daryl F. Gates' request that such employment be controlled by the department. Gates has proposed that film companies be permitted to hire only on-duty officers and specially selected retired officers. Police officials say they are attempting to comply with a city attorney's opinion stating that such traffic and crowd-control work can be performed only by on-duty officers.